The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club > Housing, Health & Hatching
IDEAL humidity for lockdown
Christie Rhae:
--- Quote from: greeneggs&ham ---I have the same incubators, Hovabator and Little Giants, all circulated air. How in the world do you get a jar of water in the Little giant? I usually lay a sponge on the floor beneath the screen and use a straw through the hole to wet it down during the 3 day lockdown. I would think the only jar that could possible fit would be a baby food jar, but then that would be a small sponge!
That is very interesting that you don\'t lay the eggs down on the screen the last few days. I\'ve never heard of setting them on egg cartons before. So the hatched chicks don\'t manage to knock any of those eggs over during the hatch?
--- End quote ---
Hmm... are there different models of the little Giant? There seems to be just enough room for a canning jar...like a jelly canning jar and a yellow kitchen sponge to fit right in the corner. The sponge ends up very close to that heating element. I make sure it is not touching but think the closeness of that heating element helps evaporate water into the air. Oh I also make sure there is enough room for a chick to go behind the jar and not get stuck.
The eggs stay put in the cartons. The chicks just bust the top off the shell and flop around. Sometimes they go back onto the carton and rest but never seem to get stuck long.
Here is pic. I did not have a clean sponge so was using a paper towel rolled up in my jar of water for this hatch. lol
greeneggsandham:
I\'ve never seen different sizes in Little Giants. I guess a jelly jar would fit. I just never thought of putting one on top of the screen. I would be afraid that the chicks might somehow be able to tip it over. Looks like you have some sort of paper towel or shelf saver covering you hatch on?
I like the egg carton idea. It looks like a good way of keeping the eggs secure and they don\'t get rolled around and yucked up by the other hatching chicks. I might try that next time.
Christie Rhae:
--- Quote from: greeneggs&ham ---I\'ve never seen different sizes in Little Giants. I guess a jelly jar would fit. I just never thought of putting one on top of the screen. I would be afraid that the chicks might somehow be able to tip it over. Looks like you have some sort of paper towel or shelf saver covering you hatch on?
I like the egg carton idea. It looks like a good way of keeping the eggs secure and they don\'t get rolled around and yucked up by the other hatching chicks. I might try that next time.
--- End quote ---
Oh I see what you were thinking. Yeah just put it on top of the screen. They can\'t knock it over. Yes that is that white shelf gripper liner stuff. lol I can\'t think of the real name of it. lol
vanalpaca:
My \'bator has 3 shelves and hatching drawer with 2 observation holes. The two fans are in the back top and the two red lightbulbs are in the front top. It does not come with turners, but the little giant turners fit and I just got 3 of them at the farm store. It did come with a thermometer mounted in the back. The cabinet door has a large viewing window, I guess I can go look and see. I am thinking mine was like $245 plus the 3 turners bought separately. I\'m using the \'Accurite\' brand thermometer/hygrometer, real cheap and seems to work ok. Haven\'t\' learned how to post photos here, so I\'ll go look at the site.
On the foam bators, I had to put long paper toweling around the inside edge to get my humidity up and since I give shots to my alpacas, I just used a clean syringe with a long needle and poked it through the styrofoam and squirted in the water so I never needed to open it. But they were all shipped eggs and I had terrible hatches.
This time, I\'m hoping my 6 rockers actually make it to hatch. Humidity is up and I am NOT opening it up!!
No way can I justify more $$ on bators when I can\'t hatch worth beans at the moment!!
3 turners x 42 eggs each = 126 eggs. Suggest making shelves/basket type to replace turners with for hatching as the drawer would probably only hatch 2 dozen eggs and give them room for the empty shells and the chicks! Also on mine, the drawer was kinda tight and I had to sand the opening so it slides quick and easy.
There was a hole out the back for the turner cords and I have a piece of plexiglas over it screwed down with the cords flattened and just about 1/8 inch of airspace. I figure the eggs and chicks still need SOME air supply and that is it!!
vanalpaca:
I see they have added wire shelves, that is nicer as mine just had the side rails that I put the turners on and I had to make wire shelves for hatching.
I also see that they are only putting in 1 fan instead of 2 which should make the unit cheaper, but apparently materials musta gone up or shipping. The one I got now costs $275 and they just call it a 3 shelf with hatcher drawer. So on the web page, it would be like the oak one or several of the others at that price.
Mine had window sealing foam around the 3 doors (hatcher, cabinet, and water chamber) as well and that is nice to help seal it.
I had to replace my thermostat switch this year after washing it \'too well\' and getting the switch wet. I hosed it to rinse. Guess I will just spray and wipe next time!!
So I moved the 6 rockers down into the hatching drawer, upped the humidity and locked down. Hatching was supposed to be yesterday at 4 pm for 21 days. Nothing, no cheeping, no pips. All this time the digital was reading 101 on the 2nd shelf and I noticed since adding all the water it only reads 98. Of COURSE that was during lockdown when I was away, but it is a min/max. I will give them another day or so, but think they are goners.
Will check my next hatch/lockdown eggs/same bator, for Wednesday. If they are rockers, will try just taking them out of the turner and leaving them in the same location they set in and see if that works better.
Very discouraged. Lots of wasted electricity.....
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